ADRIAN STROE CROWDON PAEDOPHILE CAUGHT OUTSIDE EAST CROYDON STATION BY VIGILANTES
In November 2016, Adrian Stroe, a 28-year-old man residing on Taverstock Road in Croydon, found himself at the center of a serious criminal investigation after an attempt to engage in illegal sexual activity with a minor was thwarted by vigilant citizens.The incident unfolded outside East Croydon station, where Stroe believed he was about to meet a 13-year-old girl for sex, only to be confronted by a group of paedophile hunters.
Stroe had been communicating extensively with what he thought was a young girl named Lucy Stephens, a fake profile created by the vigilante group to trap online predators.
Over the course of several months, he sent hundreds of messages, many of which contained sexually explicit content.
In these messages, he detailed his desire to have sex with the girl and even sent explicit photographs, including an image of his erect penis.
Despite the group’s repeated clarifications that the girl was only 13 and had never engaged in any sexual activity, Stroe persisted in his intentions, assuring her that the encounter would only cause brief pain and expressing his willingness to meet her.
On September 3, the moment of confrontation arrived.
Outside the former Royal Mail delivery office near East Croydon station, members of the vigilante group, known as The Hunted One, confronted Stroe.
A video recording captured the tense exchange, where members asked him directly if he liked meeting children for sex.
Stroe initially denied such intentions, claiming, “Really it’s not for that,” but when pressed further about his purpose for meeting children, he hesitated and responded ambiguously with “Uh…”.
During the exchange, he referred to one of the group members as “mate,” prompting a stern retort: “Don’t call me mate.
I’m not your mate, I ain’t mates with paedophiles.” When asked if he was in trouble, Stroe admitted, “I think so, big trouble.” The vigilantes then flagged down passing British Transport Police officers, who promptly arrested him.
The group had already contacted the Metropolitan Police, who took over the investigation.
Stroe’s arrest led to his appearance at Croydon Crown Court, where he entered a guilty plea via video link from HMP Highdown in Sutton.
He admitted to attempting to meet a child for sexual grooming and to causing a child to view sexual activity.
The court proceedings revealed that Stroe had been posing as a 13-year-old girl on a messaging app called Waplog, which allows users to create profiles and send messages without prior mutual approval.
The group involved in the sting explained that Stroe had been using the app since August 2016, pretending to be Lucy Stephens, to lure potential predators.
Prosecutor Andrew Collings detailed how the case came to light after a member of The Hunted One contacted police on September 3.
The group’s spokesperson explained that their members pose as minors online to raise awareness about online dangers and to catch predators.
Collings further stated that Stroe had been actively posing as a young girl to engage with others, and that his actions were part of a deliberate attempt to meet a minor for sexual purposes.
Judge Warwick McKinnon adjourned the case until November 14 for a pre-sentence report, and Stroe was remanded in custody until that date.
The court sentenced him to two years for the grooming offence and an additional 12 months concurrently for causing a child to view sexual activity.
Furthermore, Stroe was subjected to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, which aims to restrict his future conduct and protect the public from potential harm.
